COURT TV ONLINE

A look at the al-Qaeda leadership

Osama bin Laden is the unquestioned leader of al-Qaeda, a network of Muslim extremists operating in several countries, but he works closely with a small group of seasoned terrorists and confidantes. These men, sitting on the organization's majlis al shura, or consultation council, must approve major decisions such as terrorist attacks and the issuing of fatwas. The council members also play primary roles in the organization's four major committees — military, business, Islamic study, and media — which are filled out by lower ranking al-Qaeda members.

Here are five al-Qaeda members thought to sit on the majlis al shura.

Bin Laden's Lieutenants
	Mohammed Atef, aka "Abu Hafs el Masry" A cofounder of al-Qaeda, this Egyptian man will likely assume the leadership of the organization if bin Laden is killed or jailed. He sits on the shura council and heads al-Qaeda's military committee. Authorities say he played the lead role in arranging the bombing of the American embassy in Nairobi in 1998. His daughter is married to bin Laden's son.
	Ayman Al-Zawahiri, aka "The Doctor" A longtime leader in Egypt's Islamic Jihad terrorist group, this Cairo surgeon has been linked to the assassination of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat in 1981. Al-Zawahiri is also a founding member of al-Qaeda and a shura council member who sits on the Islamic studies committee. Jane's Foreign Report recently quoted Israeli intelligence sources who believe he played a central role in planning the September 11 attacks.
	Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, aka "Saleh" This veteran of the war against the Soviets is rumored to have tutored the mujahedin — Afghan rebels — in the art of using explosives. Authorities think he has passed on this knowledge to many al-Qaeda members in the organization's camps in Afghanistan. He sits on the shura council and is a member of the Islamic studies committee.
	Anas al Liby, aka "Nazih al Raghie" This man allegedly reconnoitered the U.S. embassy in Nairobi and helped teach others surveillance techniques such as map reading, blueprinting, measuring wall thickness, and installing hidden cameras. A Libyan national, he was fingered by a witness in the embassy bombing trial as a longtime shura council member.
	Saif al Adel, aka "Saif" A member of the shura council and al-Qaeda's military committee, al Adel is also thought to be a member of Egypt's Islamic Jihad. Authorities know little of his recent activities, but some think he was connected to a 1993 ambush in which 18 U.S. servicemen were killed in Somalia.